U.S. patent number 5,667,276 [Application Number 08/580,755] was granted by the patent office on 1997-09-16 for locking headrest support assembly.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Illinois Tool Works Inc.. Invention is credited to Sven E. Carlson, John M. Connelly.
United States Patent |
5,667,276 |
Connelly , et al. |
September 16, 1997 |
Locking headrest support assembly
Abstract
A locking headrest support assembly for the back of a vehicle
set includes a sleeve, a cap, a spring and a button. The sleeve is
lockable within the back of a vehicle seat and has a longitudinal
bore for a rod of a vehicle headrest. The cap locks onto the top of
the sleeve, and has a longitudinal bore aligned with that of the
sleeve when so locked. Alternatively, the cap and sleeve may be
combined in one integral piece. The cap has a slot in which the
button is disposed in a drawer-like fashion. The slot has two side
walls, a rear wall, and a top and a bottom. The side walls each
have a notch which defines a ledge. The notches are produced by
holes directed into the cap from its underside, so that the holes
may not be exposed to view when the locking headrest support
assembly os fully assembled. The button has prongs which engage
with the ledges and prevent the button from being withdrawn once
the prongs have so engaged. The spring is disposed in the slot
behind the button and has an elongated base member which crosses
the bore when the button is not externally depressed to engage a
headrest rod within the bore. The elongated base member is pushed
out of the bore when the button is pushed so that the position of
the headrest rod may be changed.
Inventors: |
Connelly; John M. (Tinley Park,
IL), Carlson; Sven E. (New Lenox, IL) |
Assignee: |
Illinois Tool Works Inc.
(Glenview, IL)
|
Family
ID: |
24322433 |
Appl.
No.: |
08/580,755 |
Filed: |
December 29, 1995 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
297/410;
297/463.1; 297/391 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60N
2/815 (20180201); B60N 2/818 (20180201); B60N
2/897 (20180201) |
Current International
Class: |
B60N
2/48 (20060101); A47C 001/10 () |
Field of
Search: |
;297/410,396,391,463.1 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Cranmer; Laurie K.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Kane, Dalsimer, Sullivan, Kurucz,
Levy, Eisele and Richard, LLP
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A locking headrest support assembly for the back of a vehicle
seat, said assembly comprising;
a sleeve, said sleeve being lockable within the back of a vehicle
seat and having a longitudinal bore;
a cap, said cap having an underside and a longitudinal bore and
being connected to said sleeve, said longitudinal bore of said cap
being aligned with said longitudinal bore of said sleeve, said cap
further having a slot formed in said underside in a direction
substantially transverse to said bore having a first side wall and
a second side wall, a rear wall and a top and a bottom, said first
and second side walls each having a notch defining a ledge, said
ledges being sides of holes into said underside of said cap, said
holes not being exposed to view when said locking headrest support
assembly is installed on the back of a vehicle seat;
a spring disposed within said slot, said spring having a normal and
a depressed position and being formed of an elongated base member,
said elongated base member having a rearwardly bent leg on each of
its ends, said legs extending a predetermined distance from said
elongated base member so that, when said spring is in said normal
position, said elongated base member crosses said bore a
predetermined distance to engage a headrest rod within said bore
and, when in said depressed position, does not cross said bore;
and
a button, said button being movably disposed within said slot in a
drawer-like fashion, said button having prongs on opposite sides
thereof, said prongs being engagable with said ledges in said slot,
so that, once said button is disposed within said slot, said button
may not be removed therefrom, said button engaging said elongated
base member of said spring for compressing same against said rear
wall of said slot to move it from said normal to said depressed
position and for maintaining same in said normal position when not
being pressed, when said prongs of said button engage with said
ledges of said side walls of said slot against the biasing action
of said spring.
2. A locking headrest support assembly as claimed in claim 1
wherein said sleeve comprises a first tine and a second tine.
3. A locking headrest support assembly as claimed in claim 2
wherein said first tine comprises a prong to prevent the extraction
of the sleeve from a hole in the back of a vehicle seat.
4. A locking headrest support assembly as claimed in claim 2
wherein said second tine comprises a longitudinally extending side
rib to ensure the tight fit of the sleeve in a hole in the back of
a vehicle seat.
5. A locking headrest support assembly as claimed in claim 1
wherein said legs of said spring have arcuately bent ends, so that
they may slide against the rear wall of said slot with a minimal
amount of friction.
6. A locking headrest support assembly as claimed in claim 1
wherein said elongated base member of said spring is rounded in a
direction transverse to its length.
7. A locking headrest support assembly as claimed in claim 1
wherein said button comprises a substantially flat body having a
resilient arm, wherein one of said prongs is an integral part of
said resilient arm, so that said button may flex when inserted into
said slot and said prongs may snappingly engage with said
ledges.
8. A locking headrest support assembly as claimed in claim 1
wherein said sleeve and said cap comprise one integral piece.
9. A locking headrest support assembly as claimed in claim 1
wherein said underside of said cap includes means for locking said
cap onto said sleeve.
10. A locking headrest support assembly as claimed in claim 1
wherein said cap, said sleeve and said button are molded from a
polymeric resin material.
11. A locking headrest support assembly as claimed in claim 10
wherein said cap and said sleeve are integrally molded with one
another.
12. A locking headrest support assembly as claimed in claim 10
wherein said polymeric resin material is high-density polyethylene
(HDPE).
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a locking headrest support
assembly for a vehicle seat. More specifically, the invention
relates to such an assembly having a sleeve, which slidingly
accommodates a rod of the headrest, and a cap at the upper end
thereof including a locking device which engages with notches in
the rod of the headrest to fix same in a desired vertical
position.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Locking headrest support assemblies of the subject type are made of
synthetic material or metal, and are inserted from above into the
backs of vehicle seats. They enable the accommodation of a rod of a
headrest in sliding engagement so that the headrest may be adjusted
in height. Through a corresponding frictional engagement or a
releasable arresting means, the headrest may be adjusted to the
respectively desired height.
The prior art is replete with assemblies of the subject type. For
example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,577,904 shows a guiding sleeve for
headrests at vehicle seats, wherein the sleeve slidingly
accommodates a rod of the headrest. At the upper end of the sleeve
is an arresting device provided with a handling means and
cooperating with an arresting abutment at the lower end of the rod.
The arresting device prevents the rod from being pulled out when
the handling means is not actuated.
The sleeve has a bore which is provided with an enlargement at its
upper end. The enlargement accommodates an elongated spring element
which has a forward longitudinal side cooperating with the headrest
rod and which has a rearward longitudinal side by which it is
supported at the wall of the enlargement. The enlargement also
accommodates an unlocking element having two parallel-spaced legs
arranged therewithin. The legs are respectively disposed laterally
of the sleeve bore. The ends of the legs cooperate with the ends of
the spring element while being adapted to be moved by the handling
means towards the spring element in the direction of their
longitudinal extension.
Locking headrest support assemblies currently in use have
non-functional, visible holes which are unattractive from an
aesthetic point of view. Such holes are left behind by inserts
during the molding process. The inserts provide ledges or other
internal structure in the article being molded. In the
above-described situation, the unlocking element has prongs which
engage with a ledge or notch within the enlargement, so that the
unlocking element may be held in place against the biasing force
provided by the spring element.
The present locking headrest support assembly provides an
improvement to those of the prior art by virtue of its lack of
non-functional, visible holes when installed on the back of a
vehicle seat.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the present invention is an improved locking headrest
support assembly for the back of a vehicle seat. The invention
comprises four parts: a sleeve, a cap, a spring and a button.
Alternatively, sleeve and cap may be integrally molded with one
another to form one part of a three-part locking headrest support
assembly.
The sleeve is lockable into appropriate hardware within the back of
a vehicle seat, and has a longitudinal bore to accommodate a rod
for a locking headrest.
Where the cap is not integrally molded with the sleeve, it is
lockable onto the top of the sleeve either before or after its
installation into the back of a vehicle seat. In such event,
locking means for joining the cap to the sleeve are provided on the
underside of the cap and near the top of the sleeve. In any case,
the cap has a longitudinal bore, which is aligned with that of the
sleeve.
The cap also has a slot in a direction substantially transverse to
the bore. The slot has a first side wall and a second side wall, a
rear wall and a top and a bottom. The first and second side walls
each have a notch defining a ledge. The ledges are provided by
directing holes into the underside of the cap. These holes are not
exposed to view when the locking headrest support assembly is
installed in a vehicle seat back. The holes cut into the first and
second side walls of the slot, and, in so doing, provide the
notches therein which act as ledges.
The spring is disposed within the slot, and has a normal and a
depressed position. The spring is formed of an elongated base
member having a rearwardly bent leg on each of its two ends. The
legs extend a predetermined distance from the elongated base
member, so that, when the spring is in the normal position, the
elongated base member crosses the bore a predetermined distance to
engage a support rod for a headrest within the bore. When the
spring is in the depressed position, the elongated base member does
not cross the bore. As a consequence, a support rod for a headrest
may be moved longitudinally when the spring is in the depressed
position.
The button is movably disposed within the slot in the manner of a
drawer. The button is the means by which the spring is moved
between the normal and depressed positions. The button has prongs
on opposite sides thereof, the prongs being engagable with the
ledges in the slot so that, once the button is disposed within the
slot, it may not be removed therefrom. The button engages with the
elongated base member of the spring in order to compress the spring
against the rear wall of the slot, thereby moving it from the
normal to the depressed position. The button also maintains the
spring in its normal position when not being pressed, the prongs on
the button then engaging with the ledges in the side walls against
the outward biasing action of the spring.
The present invention will now be described in more complete
detail, with frequent reference being made to the figures, which
are identified as follows.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a front plan view of the locking headrest support
assembly of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a partial cross section taken as indicated by line 2--2
in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a plan view of the button for the locking headrest
support assembly;
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken as indicated by line 4--4 in
FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 is a side plan view of the locking headrest support
assembly;
FIG. 6 is a top plane view thereof; and
FIG. 7 is a plan view of the underside of the cap of the support
assembly.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Turning now specifically to FIG. 1, the locking headrest support
assembly 10 of the present invention comprises a sleeve 12, a cap
14 and a button 16. Referring first to the sleeve 12, it may be
provided with two tines 18, 20 in the manner of a fork. One tine 18
may be provided with a prong 22, which is intended to prevent the
extraction of the sleeve from a hole in the back of a vehicle seat.
The same tine 18 may also be provided with a locator rib 24, which
orients the sleeve 12 in the proper direction within the hole in
the vehicle seat. The other tine 20 may be provided with a side rib
26 which provides the sleeve 12 a tight fit in the hole in the
vehicle seat.
The cap 14 snaps onto the top of the sleeve 12 by means of prongs
28 which engage outwardly through holes 30 in the sleeve 12.
Alternatively, sleeve 12 and cap 14 may be integrally molded with
one another to form a single piece lacking prongs 28. Cap 14 has a
slot 32 into which button 16 is disposed in a drawer-like
fashion.
FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view taken as indicated by line
2--2 in FIG. 1. The cross section is taken as indicated through cap
14 as shown, removing the top of the cap 14 to expose the contents
of slot 32 to view. The cross section is partial to the extent that
button 16 and spring 34 have not been sectioned for the sake of
clarity.
The button 16 will be more completely described hereinbelow. For
the moment, it is important to note that it includes prongs 36,
which engage within ledges 38 provided in slot 32. Spring 34
outwardly biases button 16, and the engagement of prongs 36 against
ledges 38 prevents the button 16 from being pushed from slot
32.
Spring 34 is attached to button 16, and is formed of flat spring
steel. Spring 34 consists of two legs 40, 42 bent away in a
rearward direction from an intermediate direction from an elongated
base member 44. The legs 40, 42 intersect one another as shown. The
intersection in the plane of the elongated base member 44 is made
possible by legs 40, 42 being thinner than elongated base member
44. The ends of legs 40, 42 are arcuately bent, so that they come
into contact against the rear wall 46 of slot 32 with relatively
little friction. Elongated base member 44 of spring 34 may be
rounded, as shown in FIG. 2, to engage more smoothly with the
notches in a rod of a headrest, when the rod is disposed in bore
52.
FIG. 3 is a plan view of button 16. In addition to prongs 36, the
button 16 includes prongs 48, by which spring 34 may be attached
thereto. Bunion 16 also includes a resilient arm 50, of which one
of the two prongs 36 is an integral part. This enables the
structure of the button 16 to flex as it is being inserted into
slot 32 and prong 36 to snap into ledge 38, to keep button 16
within slot 32.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken as indicated by line 4--4 in
FIG. 1, and showing the relationship between the sleeve 12, cap 14,
button 16 and spring 34. Cap 14 and sleeve 12 are joined by
inserting prongs 28 of cap 14 into sleeve 12 and allowing prongs 28
to snap outwardly into holes 30. In practice, this arrangement will
permit the sleeve 12 to be separately inserted into a hole in a
seat back. Later, a fully assembled cap 14, that is, one having a
button 16 and spring 34, may be snapped into the sleeve.
Alternatively, sleeve 12 and cap 14 may be integrally molded as one
piece without prongs 28 and holes 30.
Button 16 is disposed within the cap 14, and biased toward the left
by spring 34. Elongated base member 44, as a result of the biasing,
passes across bore 52 so that it may engage with a rod passing
longitudinally through sleeve 12 and cap 14.
FIG. 5 is a side plan view of the locking headrest support assembly
10 taken from the right side of the front plan view given in FIG.
1. Tine 20 of sleeve 12 has side rib 26 and transverse ribs 54.
FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the locking headrest support assembly
10. Of interest is that elongated base member 44 of spring 34
intersects with bore 52 when pushing button 16 outwardly, engaging
prongs 36 against ledges 38. When the rod of a headrest having the
customary spaced notches is disposed within the bore 52, elongated
base member 44 holds the rod, and, as a consequence, the headrest
in a selected position relative to a seat back.
FIG. 7 is a plan view of the underside of the cap 14 when the cap
14 is being molded, inserts protrude into the mold cavity and
ultimately produce holes 56 in the bottom of the cap 14. Holes 56
ultimately produce ledges 38 in slot 32. Holes 56, being on the
underside of the cap 14 are hidden from view when the locking
headrest support assembly 10 is installed in a vehicle seat back.
Moles 56 are also provided when the cap 14 is integrally molded
with the sleeve 12.
Sleeve 12, cap 14 and button 16 may all be molded from a polymeric
resin material, such as high-density polyethylene (HDPE), and
sleeve 12 and cap 14 may be integrally molded with one another of
such material. Spring 34, as previously noted, may be of steel.
Modifications to the present invention may be obvious to those of
ordinary skill in the art, and would not bring the invention so
modified beyond the scope of the appended claims.
* * * * *